The summer construction season for Queen’s University is wrapping up and preparations are underway to welcome students back for the fall term. Here’s a snapshot:

John Deutsch University Centre (JDUC) and JDUC Residence

The John Deutsch University Centre (JDUC), located on the corner of University Avenue and Union Street, is a key hub for student life at Queen’s. There is also a 90-room student residence in the building. Renovations began in May 2022.

The residence in JDUC was renovated and is re-opening to students for the start of the Fall 2024 semester. The balance of the JDUC project experienced some timeline slippage due to unforeseen challenges during the renovation and is now scheduled for completion on Nov. 29, 2024. At that time the building should receive a full occupancy permit and tenants, including the Alma Mater Society, the Society of Graduate and Professional Students, the Office of the Rector, the Student Experience Office (SEO), numerous student clubs, a pub, and a print and copy centre, can all begin moving in to the building. 

More info on the JDUC Residence project is available online.

More info on the JDUC project is available online. 

Stauffer Library

Queen’s is renovating Joseph S. Stauffer Library’s main floor. This project – the first major renovation since it opened in 1994 – will enhance accessibility and create a more welcoming and modern space for patrons. 

Stauffer Library closed in June to start renovations and will reopen for the start of the fall term, though work on the interior will be ongoing. The main floor is expected to be fully re-opened in January 2025.

More information on the Stauffer Library is available on the Queen’s Library website. 

Duncan McArthur Hall

Duncan McArthur Hall, located on the West Campus of Queen’s University, is home to the Faculty of Education.

The university began the redevelopment of Duncan McArthur Hall in May 2024. Work includes an expansion of the first floor into the space under the building overhang and renovation of the existing first floor of ‘A’ wing (east wing), parts of the second floor, and the “student street” that connects the two wings of the building. The project is expected to be completed in September 2025. 

More information on the Duncan McArthur Hall project is available online.

Agnes Etherington Art Centre

Agnes’s current physical space closed effective March 29, 2024. Construction began in May 2024. The new space is scheduled to open in the summer of 2026. A section of Bader Lane adjacent to the site will remain closed to traffic for the duration of the project but will be opened temporarily to facilitate traffic movement during student move-in weekend Aug. 31, 2024.

The Agnes is home to The Bader Collection – the most comprehensive collection of authenticated paintings by Rembrandt van Rijn and his circle in any institution within Canada.

When complete, the Agnes Etherington Art Centre at Queen’s University will be the largest public university-affiliated museum in Canada. A new three-floor building will double the amount of current gallery space at the museum. 

More information on the Agnes Reimagined project is available online. 

Castle Lab 

Queen’s will soon be home to a new Climate Adaptive infraStructure Testing and Longevity Evaluation (CASTLE) Innovation Cluster laboratory on its West Campus in Kingston. The new lab will include the world’s only large cyclic triaxial soil strength testing apparatus, and a new 6-metre diameter centrifuge capable of accelerating payloads of 1,500 kg up to 100 times Earth’s gravity. This new technology will position Queen’s as a leader in developing solutions and training experts to improve the resilience of infrastructure to climate change. 

The project will be used by experts from Queen’s GeoEngineering Centre and the Royal Military College in Kingston and provide students with opportunities to conduct research using new advanced technologies.
Construction started in July 2024 and is expected to be complete in February 2026. 

More information on the Castle Lab project is available online. 

Bader College - Herstmonceux Castle, United Kingdom

Work will begin immediately on Herstmonceux Castle at Bader College in East Sussex, UK, to effect urgent masonry repairs as well as repairs to the roof and windows to ensure safe access to the structure and to prevent additional structural damage from water penetration. 

Bader College closed in November 2023 and access to the castle was limited after the University was informed of serious structural concerns with the central gatehouse. Work on Bader College’s future and alignment with Queen’s University strategy is in progress.

More updates are available on the Bader College website.